A Brief Rundown of Animals

Surgery is the very least in the minds of dog owners, but when there is no choice, it can be a scary experience to both dogs and owners. It is the first few weeks after surgery that will need special care and attention to the dog. After surgery and in the next few days, the dog will find itself groggy, sleepy more than usual, cannot balance when standing or walking, and will have poor motor control. More likely in the following 2 days after surgery, the dog will be experiencing the following: nausea, vomiting, panting, loss of appetite and sometimes loss of bladder control. These are helpful tips on how to care for dogs after undergoing surgery.

Using a Dog Cone

Veterinarians usually require a dog, who goes under the knife or who is being treated from a wound, to wear a cone, E-collar or Elizabethan collar, to stop the dog from licking the wounds or biting the stitches on the wounds. The cone attachment may be likely an uncomfortable addition on the dog’s neck, so he/she will likely try to remove it, therefore, there’s an alternative to that, which is a special fabric clothing in place of the cone, which will be hard for the dog to remove.

It’s not as easy as it looks when giving a dog his/her medicine, especially if the medicine pill is mixed with the regular food, because more likely the dog will identify it and dodge it away. An effective way is to give dog treats for medication, which is a special treat where the medicine is concealed in it. If not, a pill gun should do the trick, which can put the pill directly into the dog’s throat.

If the dog is allowed to go home a few days after surgery, the vet will definitely give instructions on how to care for the wound, such as: cleaning the wound with betadine or washing with salt water, cleaning a drain site 2-3 times a day, if there is one, changing the bandages. Also, checking regularly on the wound, until it is healed, is required to see if there is a development of infection which is an excessive white or yellow pus.

Giving water more than the usual volume to the dog, after surgery, can help the dog from being hydrated. Attention must be given when water is given, since the dog might still be groggy and might droop his/her head while drinking and may cause his/her drowning.

Giving Extra Care to the Dog

Providing the dog a comfortable place to rest after his/her surgery can help in the speedy recovery of his/her wound. One must give extra attention in keeping his/her wounded dog from other dogs so as to prevent these dogs from licking the wound.